Acts 7:60 “Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep.”

PERSECUTION

If someone was trying to kill you, would these be your last words? I would hope they would be mine, but I am not so sure. Persecution is real! It is happening all over the world right now. Believers are losing their lives just for loving Jesus and telling others about Him. Can we be like Stephen and make those our final words?

It’s one thing for we adults to claim we can do that, but what about our children? How in the world do we teach them this kind of faith? How do we teach our children that this life is not worth living unless we are willing to lay it down for Jesus? That seems an impossible concept. Let me explain.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children aren’t ours to begin with. God has blessed some of us with our own precious children. We sacrifice for them. We bandage their knee when it is skinned. We take them to the doctor when they are sick. We spend a lot of money to feed, clothe and educate them. But they aren’t ours. And as with everything we are given by God, we hold it loosely in our hands should He ever ask for it.

That’s the concept! We teach our children that EVERYTHING we have belongs to Him, even our very lives. So, if and when He asks for it, we willingly hand it over. That might mean when we are called upon to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ we do just that, knowing that being absent from this body means being present with the Lord.

I am sure this devotional thought won’t be on your top 10 list. But listen Moms and Dads! Hold your children loosely. They don’t belong to you! They are His! You are just the stewards of them for a short time. Invest in them and prepare them for Him!